Quirky Companions
by Veriqi
Summary: Everyone knows that Bakugou and Midoriya are best friends, although no one really understands how. Yet if they don't want to trigger the formers temper or hurt the latters feelings, that's a fact of life they'll have to get used to. Said friends included.


**Veriqi does not own Boku no Hero Academia. It is just his favourite manga/anime, and he is obsessed.**

 **Fav and review if you enjoy the story, and follow if you want to see more!**

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 _ **This is an idea that struck me and I just had to see written. For all of you who like to think of what could have been, or perhaps what may be one day.**_

 _–Veriqi_

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 **WARNING: Features crude language and mild violence.**

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 **Quirky Companions**

 _by Veriqi_

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"Come on, Kacchan… it's not _that_ bad."

"Are you fucking kidding me? The pug-faced bastard has got it out for me."

"His name is Professor Akubi, and he says history is an important subject!" Voice dropping into a fast-paced murmur, he continued, "I mean, I've read about the ordeal surrounding the appearance of quirks and how society at the time reacted to it, and it's kind of understandable why quirk law evolved the way it did – I mean, imagining a world before quirks is strange, but thinking about the effect such a spontaneous evolution would have–"

"Deku… either speak up or shut your goddamn mouth."

"Okay."

Kacchan – or Katsuki as he was known when he didn't want to feel like a freaking five-year-old – grunted as they ascended the stairs of the Musutafu Public Library. This was where a history assignment left him on a Sunday he would much rather spend training or blowing shit up in the forest – out researching an ancient piece of legislation with Deku. Who couldn't read the fucking _mood_ and just had to keep talking.

"So, history part aside… why're you so upset over this?"

Katsuki gave him a look. "It's a fucking _group assignment_."

"Yeah, I know you don't, well, do those… but don't you think we can work together on this? Since we actually get along?"

"And that's supposed to be any good?"

"Rephrase – would you work with anyone that wasn't me?"

"Hell no!" Katsuki spat. "Those shitty, half-assed extras would just let me do all the work! I bet none of them even knows what Quirk Restriction means!"

"What's the problem then?" Deku said, far too smugly for Katsuki's tastes. The little shit acted like a polite and upstanding goody two-shoes all around the clock, but when the two of them hung out together he turned into such a freaking smartass. "And I do happen to know what the Universal Quirk Restriction Act is, if not what it entails."

"Because you're a fucking nerd."

"Which comes in handy right now, don't you think?"

Katsuki huffed but said nothing more. Instead, he craned his head to look out over the main lobby of the library, cataloguing the few people present and inwardly dreading the hours he was likely to be stuck there. "So, what the hell are we looking for?"

The librarian at the reception desk gave him a mightily disapproving look. Deku, who had grown used to his cursing long before either of them could make basic additions, predictably didn't react. "Well, I'd think the history section would be a good place to start."

"Did I ask you to state the fucking obvious?" Another reproachful look. "What are we looking for as in, what stupidly thick paperback are you going to torture me with this time?"

Deku shrugged. "I figure we'd just grab what looks interesting."

"That's your plan?" Katsuki had figured Deku would've had a ready list to pick from.

"I don't, in fact, know every book in existence and where it is." Though he was apparently fully aware of Katsuki's thought process. "Y'know, you should try reading sometimes. Can't rely on that natural genius forever."

"I work hard for my grades, dammit!" As should be obvious by him being here instead of at home. When the librarian turned the stinky eye on him this time, Katsuki returned it with a red-eyed glare that sent the spindly dweeb scrambling to appear busy and not involved whatsoever with the murderous-looking child in the middle of the public building. Katsuki snorted in distain.

"Kacchan, could you _please_ stop threatening people? I'd like to stay on relatively good terms with the staff."

"I say and do whatever the fuck I want and no one complains, alright?" Katsuki growled. "Niceties are damned pointless."

"Most people call those 'niceties' manners."

"Most people are fucking idiots. Now, can we get this shitty assignment over with already?"

They made their way over to the history section, figuring it would be a good place to start. Deku took the lead as they started to browse through the aisle while Katsuki followed at a more sedate pace, eyes lazily trailing over the titles in search of anything that looked like it had something to do with Quirk Regulation.

 _East Hemisphere Historia_ … _Birth of the Sunrise Land_ … _Dark Ages: Past and Present_ … Bingo, _The Origin of Quirks_. "Will that one do?" he asked.

"Where?"

"The red one at the top."

Deku's green eyes, less intimidating but just as sharp as Katsuki's own, easily located the book among the other heavy tomes by the ceiling. "How did you see _that_ before anything else?"

"You only look at eye-level and below," Katsuki said. "Someone had to watch the higher places."

Deku blinked. He looked at Katsuki, then back at the book. "How did they even get it up there? You'd need some sort of gigantification-type quirk to reach that high. That, or an elongation quirk, or possibly–"

"Either way, I'm getting that damned book." Katsuki started to pull up his sleeves.

"Ah, Kacchan!" Deku yelped. "What are you doing?"

"Climbing, genius."

"You can't do that here!"

"Fucking watch me."

"But you don't have to do that!"

"Why?"

"Because I'm here!" Deku almost exclaimed, arms waving. "Why not let me get it?"

Katsuki froze, foot momentarily hovering over the lower ledge before he put it down again. Pretending he didn't just completely forget something that obvious, he casually turned to Deku with a mildly interested air. "Well, the hell are you waiting for then?"

The green-haired boy cocked an eyebrow but, with a twist of his wrist, wordlessly complied.

The book jerked outwards, stilling for a moment before it suddenly dislodged itself, flying into a couple of ready hands that caught it and immediately started to skim through its pages. Katsuki let Deku do that while he turned to look for other books, finger tapping against the spine of one slimmer than average as he considered it. _Japanese Politics of the Modern Era_ – the title was enough to make him yawn, but was probably sufficient for their purposes.

Deku hummed. "This focuses more on the biological side of things than the legislative, but I think we can still use it. We'll have to keep our eyes open for other finds like this, and maybe consider looking into different sections…" he trailed off.

Katsuki suddenly felt very uneasy. "How many of these do we have to get?"

"The more the better."

"Give me a number, dammit."

"…Maybe a dozen?"

"What the —?! Are you serious?!" Katsuki exploded, ignoring Deku's frantic motions for him to keep his voice down. "We're gonna be here all fucking day! I've got shit to do!"

"Well, we'd not be using all of them!" Deku said, blabbering in his haste to explain. "Most would just be used for comparison, as a point of reference! The subject is kind of touchy and is bound to have a lot of opinions surrounding it, so it'd be best to be thorough in our research to make sure we understand everything correctly, not to mention that'd it let us see the different views of people that may or may not be gainful for us if we want to… uh, Kacchan?"

Katsuki gave him his best deadpan look, slowly asking, "Are you trying to tell me they are for source criticism?" At the other's nod, he groaned. "Deku, for fuck's sake; learn to state something tersely."

Deku blinked. "You said 'tersely'."

"I did not."

"You clearly did."

"I fucking did not!"

"You can't know the word 'tersely' and complain about reading a few books!" Deku announced gleefully. "Come one! The faster we start collecting them, the faster we can finish the assignment!"

Katsuki failed to come up with any good retort and, as the moment dragged on, deflated. "Dammit…"

Seeing Deku's expectant look, Katsuki huffed in defeat and tossed the book he was holding at the shorter boy, who flailed slightly as he caught it against his gut. "Fine! But I'm not carrying them for you. At least that'll give you some hint of when to stop."

"All righty All Mighty!" Deku chirped, adjusting his load into a more convenient position. "I'll take them. It'll probably be safer anyway. For the books, I mean."

While most people would be offended by any insinuations of them being prone of book burning, Katsuki wasn't among them – fuck, in his mind it was more of a compliment. "If we split up to look, it'll take less time."

"Sounds good to me. I'll go check the culture section for anything useful."

"Just don't get fucking sidetracked, y'hear me?"

"I'll stay focused," Deku promised, nodding like an overeager puppy before staggering down the aisle, clearly struggling with the extra weight he was toting. There was a reason why Katsuki let the nerd's arms decide how much reading material he could collect – Deku was many things, but a physical powerhouse he was not.

Katsuki watched him until he was out of sight before he grunted irritably and turned back to the seemingly endless bookcases before him. How come he didn't even blink when confronting the biggest, meanest bully on the playground, but when faced with a wall full of history books it sent shivers of dread down his back? Katsuki had a better work ethic than most adults out there, but he found little joy in the written word. Unlike Deku, who could spend days coped up with a book that interested him if he wasn't busy helping Aunt Inko at home or pulling Katsuki around on his usual hero hunts.

Fucking bookworms. Katsuki was _not_ a fan of libraries.

Drearily, he started to search through the titles, dismissing half of them within the first thirty seconds on the basis that the ones they already had were thick enough – heaven forbid what other doorstoppers Deku would inevitably pick up – and Katsuki didn't want to add even more to the pile. He briefly wondered if there was some sort of weight requirement for history books to fulfil before publishing, or if it was a result of the authors trying to one-up each other…

A surprised 'eep!' and a couple of heavy _thuds_ sent Katsuki beelining for the culture section. His muscles were tense in anticipation as he rounded the corner, and what he saw at the other end of the room made the palms of his hands itch.

"—hanging around the library all alone?" A boy Katsuki's age drawled, looming over the smaller Deku. Another extra loitered beside him, slightly closer to the green-haired boy as if to box him in against the wall. "Most people would be hanging with their friends around this time of day."

"He has them?" the second one sneered. Deku flinched.

Katsuki's eyes narrowed. The pair, Head Flop and Finger Freak – he'd never bothered to learn their actual names – were classmates and regular bullies who targeted Deku when Katsuki wasn't around, although they didn't dare touch him for fear of Katsuki's wrath and kept to simple taunts and jeers. Still, Deku could defend himself against anything physical – it was the verbal assaults he had trouble dealing with on his own.

Fortunately, Katsuki was more than willing to cover for him.

" _Oi, shitheads!_ " he barked, making the extras spin around in alarm and, to Katsuki's delight, fear. He strolled up to join them, sliding up beside Deku who, while still unresponsive, relaxed at his familiar presence. "You asshats have anything to say to me?"

He hastily glanced at Deku. "To us?"

The extras exchanged glances, and Head Flop took the initiative, if carefully so. "There are a lot of things I'd like to tell you, Bakugou, but none of them in polite company."

"If he knew what that meant," Finger Freak added under his breath, but Katsuki still caught it.

"Why're you fucks even here?"

"Working on our school assignment." Finger Freak poked one of the books on the floor with his foot. "You too, I guess?"

"One of them was, at least," Head Flop muttered, leaning sideways as to see Deku better. Katsuki moved in front of him. "What's this, hiding behind Bakugou?"

"He's not fucking _hiding_ ," Katsuki growled. "He just knows better than to stand within my blast zone!" The extras hastily took a collective step back.

"Kacchan." Deku latched on to his sleeve, tugging at it in a vain attempt to make him back down. "Don't fight them. Let's just… go our separate ways, and not bother each other anymore?" It sounded more like a question.

" _I_ won't be freaking _bothered_ ," Katsuki retorted through gnashed teeth.

"But the librarian will!" Deku insisted, tugging even harder. "They might throw us out! And we still haven't found all the material we need for the assignment!"

Fuck, he had a point.

Unfortunately, the extras had also heard Deku, their smirks sliding back on their faces as they realised Katsuki couldn't touch them. "Listen to your minder, Bakugou. Would be a shame to get that on your record, don't cha think?"

"Spare it; if it weren't for Midoriya, the guy would've blown his chances ages ago," Head Flop snorted. He turned to Bakugou. "But I guess that's why you keep him around."

Deku's breath hitched, and Katsuki's stare was at once solely on Head Flop. "What did you say?"

"Come on, don't play pretend," Head Flop drawled. "I get it man – neither me nor any of the other guys have the brains you need… but why else would you hang out with the hero geek?"

"It's not like you got any common interests," Finger Freak added.

Katsuki clenched his fists hard enough to feel his knuckles pop. "What. Did you. Say?"

"We know you, Bakugou – we know what makes you tick. You never do something that doesn't serve your goals, and even the best like you would be challenged to achieve what you want to do. U.A., wasn't it?" Had Flop grinned. "Yeah! That's ambitious, even for you. Impossible for someone like Midoriya, but you still indulge him. That's harsh, mate…"

"Uh, dude," Finger Freak tried to cut in, suddenly sounding alarmed. "I think you'd better sto p."

"…but I guess it's nice to have someone around to do the homework for you, amirite?"

Katsuki _moved_. Head Flop barely managed to raise his arm, the little good it did him as Katsuki's hand clasped down on his wrist like a clamp – or more accurately, a bomb belt – and without much effort, wrenched it out of the way. Nailing him with a look that hid none of the wrathful inferno within, Katsuki leaned in towards his face and said with a voice hinting of the ferryman, "Listen here, fuckface. Get out of my sight or else, damned restrictions or not, _I'll fucking turn your useless asses into piles of fucking ash_. Got it?"

A loaded silence followed his ultimatum, the stench of singed fabric rising from the grasped sleeve. Katsuki let the words sink in before he, with one last pulse of heat, let him go. Head Flop stumbled, breaths short and rapid, and after a few moments both he and the other extra took off for the exit. Katsuki's gaze followed them unblinkingly until they were out of sight.

"Fucking cowards," he spat.

"They caught me by surprise—they thought I was alone" Deku explained, expression trembling. "I wish they would just leave me alone…"

"Six. Fucking. Years," Katsuki punctuated. "If they haven't given up by now, they never will."

Deku bent down to pick up one of the books. "I know, but… it doesn't cost me anything to hope." Katsuki grunted and squatted down, grabbing the other book and handing it over. "Thanks."

"'S nothing," Bakugou said. "And it does – cost you, I mean. For someone with such a nerdy brain, you're an idiot when it comes to hopeless causes."

"You know me," Deku shrugged, eyes downcast. "I just can't quit."

Katsuki huffed, knowing it to be true, and looked towards the culture section. "Come on, we still have a shitty assignment to finish. Did you find anything useful, or–?"

"…Kacchan?"

"What?"

"I'm glad we're friends."

Katsuki straightened in surprise, head twisting. Deku didn't meet his eyes, busying himself with studying his bulky red shoes while he shifted restlessly in place, looking awkward and steadily more distressed. Katsuki desperately tried to make any sense of it.

Admittedly, Katsuki wasn't very good at social interactions. Not that he was completely clueless – he just didn't fucking care. Deku had always been his mediator with the rest of society, ever present at his side to make sure he didn't kill somebody or commit arson or something of the like, and Katsuki had no interest of changing that (most people annoyed him to no end anyway, so it was not like he was missing something). Deku never seemed to mind outside of his usual exasperation at Katsuki's behaviour, and since their agemates had long ago marked him as someone 'different' the green-haired boy didn't really have anyone else anyway.

Katsuki wasn't one to question his fortune, but there were times when he asked himself why Deku so staunchly clung to him. He wasn't easy to get along with, he knew that, and their personalities were practically exact opposites – dominant and assertive, withdrawn and humble; explosive and powerful, gently prodding and weak at a first glance. Yet the one time he had voiced his doubt, years and years ago, Deku had simply stared at him in a way that for once had made him feel stupid and had simply answered, _Because you're my friend_.

That had been the first time Deku had ever declared Katsuki to be his friend. But that had been back in kindergarten, and following instances had grown scarcer over the years as they grew older. Nowadays, such raw expressions of feeling were taboo, and Katsuki had not heard it for years – until now. He'd almost forgotten the random outbursts where Deku would lay claim to a position no other being in the world, quirk or no quirk, could attest to having.

Although, now that he thought of it… never in the near-decade that they had known each other had Katsuki ever told Deku the same.

Said boy was still shuffling in place, and Katsuk snapped back to the present. He didn't know for certain what had brought this on, although part of him was convinced that the extras' words had something to do with it. Deku was expecting an answer, however, and Katsuki struggled to find one that didn't make his jaw lock up or his tongue glue itself stuck in his mouth. His emotional knowledge was meagre yet experienced from all the time spent with one Izuku Midoriya, and Katsuki had to gather it all up before he gained the nerve to finally answer.

"Me too."

Deku froze, then, slowly, green eyes rose to meet red. "Really?" he asked, staring at Katsuki in… Katsuki didn't know what, but he quickly averted his gaze.

"Yeah. Unlike everyone else in this shitty neighbourhood, you at least have a freaking backbone."

Deku continued to stare, then sniffled and hastily wiped his face with his sleeve. "Thanks, Kacchan," he said, voice thick and raw. Typical for Deku to start crying on his ass.

"For fuck's sake, don't break down on me for telling the fucking truth." Katsuki grimaced, throwing a restless eye the other way. "Are we gonna get those damned books or not?"

"Right, I… Okay."

" _Fucking awesome_. At the rate we're going, they will be fucking closed long before we're done."

Deku laughed, happy and carefree.

They spent the rest of the afternoon at one of the library's study tables, researching and writing the first draft of their assignment. And if Deku seemed noticeably more upbeat and chatty than usual while Katsuki was unusually calm and patient, then neither of them felt like commenting on it.

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 **[AN]: Hope you enjoyed that vignette.** **I might write more shorts set in this AU, centred around these two or other characters, if people seem interested.**

 **I've seen a few of these around, but they are often romantically inclined... I just wanted to see some much needed friendship between Izuku and Katsuki, and how I'd imagined it'd look. That's at least what I intended when I wrote this, but if you want to interpret it any other way then I certainly cannot stop you.**

 **A headcannon of mine is that Katsuki is actually very good at language – you wouldn't know, not until he slips up and uses a word not usually heard in casual conversation. Deku is more of a maths and physics-guy, so it balances out.**

 **And for fans of _Embers among the Ash_ , my other story, I'm happy to announce that I'm working on the next chapter! Stay tuned for that!**

 **Until next time.**


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